If you thought 2011′s “Fast Five,” seemed a bit like a feature-length ad for the Dodge Charger, it may wind up looking modest compared with the density of product placements in “Fast & Furious 6,” which opens May 24.

For the latest installment in the Fast and Furious franchise, platoons of Chargers return for more gritty, violent and well-choreographed chase scenes. But this time the big four-door brings the family, including the current SRT Challenger, a vintage Charger Daytona — and the Dart compact economy car.

Ford Motor Co. is making changes to one of its 2013 models even before it reaches the market. The company is tweaking the vehicle’s cosmetics, adding details to its hood and grille, and reworking the area around the fog lights.

You won’t find the new car on dealer lots, but it will compete with redesigned Dodge, Chevrolet and Toyota models on television starting with next February’s Daytona 500 stock-car race. Ford’s latest Fusion Nascar racer is meant to look more like the regular production version that consumers will be able to buy.

Car makers have long made big productions when unveiling new model for sale to consumers. Recently they have been making more of a fuss over their latest Nascar racing designs.

Ford got lots of attention in January when it revealed the Fusion racer that will compete in the 2013 Nascar Cup series. Now Chrysler Group LLC is hoping to boost interest among racing fans and car shoppers with the rollout of its 2013 Dodge Charger race car.

The car maker’s SRT Motorsports division, which worked with Nascar on finding ways to make the car look more distinctive, says the new Charger looks more like the version customers can buy in Dodge showrooms.

Chrysler Group LLC is recalling certain Dodge Charger police vehicles from the 2011 and 2012 model year to fix electrical problems that could lead to failure of their low-beam headlights or the loss of antilock braking.

In a document filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the car maker said the possible headlight problem stems from overheating in the bulb harness connector. Overheating can also occur in a component called a power distribution module, which can result in the loss of antilock-brake and electronic stability control functions.

Chrysler Group LLC says it will soon begin selling 2012 Dodge Chargers and Chrysler 300 large sedans with eight-speed automatic transmissions that will help boost their fuel economy to 31 miles per gallon on the highway — a stunning figure for full-size cars weighing about 4,000 pounds.

The car maker says the coming transmission will have an easier time finding a gear that is well-suited to the driving conditions. Chrysler’s rollout of the new gearboxes from transmissio supplier ZF puts it well ahead of rival General Motors Co., which announced in May it would begin building eight-speed transmissions in its Toledo, Ohio, plant but didn’t say which vehicles would get them or when.

For octane-addled car fanatics, even the most legendary car-chase movies leave us wanting more. It’s a bit like leaving the dinner table with hunger pangs.

“Vanishing Point” is a must-see, but lead character Kowalski spends way too much time meditating behind the wheel when he should be pushing his Dodge Challenger to the limit. Even the Steve McQueen classic “Bullitt” makes the audience endure seemingly endless melodrama before the big chase.

If you are a motor-head moviegoer still seeking satisfaction from a car-chase film, “Fast Five” should do the trick.